Bamboo, mud, “green” and earthquakes?

“The benefits of mud construction aren’t just confined to the Third World, [Environmental engineer Dominic Dowling] says. “Look at the massive amount of energy required to build modern houses using steel and concrete. There’s the energy required to make those materials, and transport those materials. “If you can make something from the earth, it can be sourced very close to the location. And, at the end of the day, it can all just be returned to the earth. It’s got to be the way of the future.”

We’re thinking probably not the best idea for San Francisco, but it would be interesting to see a 40 story mud and bamboo highrise filled with bankers in suits. We can only imagine the elevator and muddied leather shoes.

2 comments

No offense, but the reason our houses and buildings (the new ones anyway) won’t fall down in the next quake is precisely that we engineer them with steel and concrete…that’s why we’re not a 3rd world country.